“Today I was a snowflake making, pretzel baking, booty shaking, homeschooling mama.
That was my status update at 3 pm last Friday. It sounds perfect but it wasn’t… so I would like to share the imperfection of the day with you.
Snowflake Making
“Mom, we need to make a snowflake curtain. It’s not fall anymore.”
I love the leaf curtain we made last fall, but she’s right… it looks out of place in the midst of the snow covered landscape surrounding us.
So I brought out a stack of unused coffee filters and “taught” my daughter how to make snowflakes. After a few attempts to show her how to delicately cut little shapes into it, I began to feel her frustration (and mine) climb. So I decided to back off, thinking, she’ll figure it out… and she did.
Pretzel Baking
We’re doing a science unit on the senses right now. What better way to explore the senses than to bake? What do you bake when you don’t have much to bake with? Pretzels of course! Have I ever made pretzels before? Absolutely not!
The toddler kept on licking her fingers and my oldest was whining that the dough was too sticky. I, myself, began to get annoyed with the elasticity of the dough. Despite all my efforts, I could not make a half decent pretzel shape. So once again, I backed off of the idea of perfection and the pretzels ended up looking rather cute (and they tasted delicious).
*High cooking temperatures will rid any baking of toddler germs right?*
Booty Shaking
My girls love to dance and they desperately wanted to have a dance party. I had planned that we would have a “refined” dance party to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons or Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. However, my girls desperately wanted to rock out to Sesame Street’s Hot, Hot, Hot. So I shook my booty to the rocking sounds of Elmo and Big Bird.
The day didn’t quite go the way I had planned and I’m glad because it ended up being wonderful.
Once again, parenting has shown me the perfection in imperfection. While we may start with ideas and intentions, there are lessons to be learned and joys to be discovered in simply just letting things be.
Once again, parenting has shown me the perfection in imperfection. #parenting Click To Tweet
This is so sweet! I love that you had a dance party. And the coffee filter snowflakes look awesome! It’s so wonderful how you let your girls learn and figure things out on their own.
Thanks Tammy! It’s a daily effort to remember to relinquish control and follow their lead. We had a great dance party… Elmo knows how to rock and roll!
Isn’t it great when a day is wonderful even through the frustrations!!?? It really sounds like you made the best of a day that cold have driven you crazy!
I loved how the day turned out. I couldn’t have planned it to go so well.
There’s no sense is resisting the moment in an effort to force your will because it will always result in disappointment. In each of these situations you came out the winner just by letting go of any control. You are a great mom! This is a lesson I needed a reminder of …which you did so very perfectly. PS. I loved the fall curtain!
Thanks so much my friend! You’re so right… forcing our will often ends in disappointment. I need to remember this in my spiritual life as well. Glad you found this post helpful!
I love this!!! Looks/sounds like the perfect day!
Thank you Caroline! It was an unexpectedly wonderful day.
Sometimes, although not perfect, those turn out to be the most memorable, fun days. Sounds like you learned a lesson on this day as well mama. :)
Happy Thursday!
xoxo
It was such a good day and I learned an important lesson to let go of control and perfection.
xoxo
I love doing yoga with my children for the imperfection. The imperfect yoga is one of the most refreshing parts of our week. You’re so wise, Jennifer.
I don’t think anyone has called me wise before Jean. I like it! Coming from you, I take that as a huge compliment.
These are the kinds of days that can turn into the most special of days and memories! I love that you remembered to just back off and not get too worried about anything and everything turned out just fine. I bet your kids will remember this day with their mama fondly!
I love these types of off-the-cuff days! (The pretzels look great, by they way, and yes, I totally adhere to the philosophy that toddler germs are baked off in the oven.)
Your girls are my kind of girls!! I love their dance party!! They look so adorable and I can imagine it was so much fun to dance with them and Elmo xx
beautiful snowflakes! What is the curtain made of? Looks like lamination? Very cool!
Gosh it can be hard to let go of that need for things to be perfect, or executed as you imagined. We’ve had a few similar encounters as what you describe with your girls, and your post is a good reminder to relax and go with the flow. :) Thanks Jennifer.